Keep faith in Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and God, Maryam Nawaz said to a charged crowd, who gathered to welcome her in Lahore on Saturday, before admitting that she was “well aware” of the rising inflation and staggering economy.

“It will take time. Hopefully, we will take the country out of this crisis,” she said.

Pakistan’s inflation was exacerbated after the government delayed the International Monetary Fund programme and did not cut its expenses amid the rising import bill.

Maryam returned to Pakistan after three months of staying in London, United Kingdom where her father and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif is living.

Nawaz’s return

Nawaz Sharif will soon return to Pakistan, Maryam Nawaz said.

“Our leader will soon be standing among us,” she said.

She reiterated the announcement many times as her party dealt with consecutive defeats in the by-elections and trust vote against former Punjab chief minister Pervez Elahi.

Maryam left Pakistan on October 6 to meet her father. She was made ‘chief organiser’ of the party while still out of the country in early January and given wide-ranging powers over the party’s affairs. She is authorised to re-organise the party at all functional tiers/levels.

The PML-N leader would reach Jati Umra through Ring Road Ada Plot while leading a cavalcade. She is expected to address supporters at the destination.

Like her other party leaders, she criticised the previous government of PTI and the “way” her father was disqualified from holding the office of prime minister on the basis of a iqama.

“The PML-N does not fear elections,” she said in response to the opposition’s claim that the government was running away from polls.

Tasked with re-organising the party, she would start the Punjab tour on February 1.

Strengthening PML-N

“I have returned home after more than three months. Now the focus is on strengthening the PML-N,” she told media after her return.

Pak sar zameen shadbad was the first tweet she made after arriving here. A large number of party supporters had reached the airport to welcome her.

She refrained from speaking about former finance minister Miftah Ismail, who has been blunt about the party’s economic decisions since stepping down from the finance ministry. His departure, after six months stay, paved way for Ishaq Dar.

“Nawaz Sharif sahab has trained me. I have learned from my father,” she said and added that the party’s supremo was preparing for coming back to Pakistan. “He would soon return to Pakistan.”

When asked about Shahid Khaqan Abbasi making his own party, she hailed the former prime minister’s support for the PML-N. “No one can question Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s link to the party.”

Maryam, who had returned home with a new role, would start a new campaign to garner people’s support as this is the election year for the country.

Such a responsibility comes against the backdrop of the party’s dismal performance in the trust vote against Punjab Chief Minister Pervez Elahi on January 12. She would also be preparing leaders for the elections in October this year.

During her stay abroad, a couple of party leaders have been wary of the PML-N’s decisions to run the government. Former finance minister Miftah Ismail has many times criticised his predecessor’s decision to cut oil prices.

Ex-prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has also stressed the need for “taking tough decisions” to steer the country out of the crisis. It relates to the conditions set by the International Monetary Fund.